How do platelet blood cells change with age in people with heart disease?

Professor Leonard Kritharides, University of Sydney

2023 Vanguard Grant - One Year

Years funded: 2024 - 2025

Heart attacks are prevented by inhibiting the action of platelets which are the cells responsible for causing blood clots in arteries. Conventional inhibitors of platelets increase the risk of bleeding,especially in the elderly. We recently found that healthy, older people have distinct changes in platelet function which could make them uniquely suited to new treatments to safely prevent heart attacks. In the proposed project we will see if the same characteristics are seen in patients who have previously had heart attacks and if we could therefore propose new kinds of platelet inhibition for older patients with established heart disease.